Ladies and Gentlemen, the Stars Have Aligned
by ExtremeRainbowRaiderPrincess
Summary: In a whole new series of oneshots, follow the wrestlers you love as, in an alternate universe, they find love, save the day, and just plain be superheroes.
1. Take the Cake

_Disclaimer: NellyLove owns Nelly. I own the other random OC's and the story, but after that we own nothing else._

_Author's Note: Welcome to my new series of one-shots. The first three chapters are gifts to my good friend NellyLove. I owe you at least these chapters, Nelly. ^_^ This series runs in my Alternate Universe where most wrestlers are superheroes. The universe doesn't have a name- yet. It'll have one shortly though. I hope._

_By the way- some of the inspiration for this story was John Wayne's classic Western film, The Angel and the Badman. It's cute. Watch it. ^_^_

* * *

><p>Jay Reso was the last person on Earth to say that everyone had a soul mate. He believed in destiny, but soul mates? He'd been burned too many times to believe in them.<p>

_First there was Zivia in 1__st__ grade,_ Jay thought. _She had commitment issues. Then there was Raleigh in 8__th__ grade. I had commitment issues. And then Hannah when I was a junior in high school- _He shuddered at the memory. She was more than a little crazy. _And finally, Gretta…_

Gretta had been his college sweetheart, and they had been serious about each other… Right up until the moment where she dumped him for some actor and ran off.

"Some fiancée she was," Jay grumbled as he thought about her.

If she could be considered his ex-fiancée, since they had called it off pretty much every time they tried to set a date for the wedding.

The woman had been cold, condescending, and a complainer, just to name her good qualities. Add on to that a constant wandering eye and a penchant for stealing, and she was just a regular Bella Swan.

Or not.

He was still trying to recover from the painful breakup that had happened years before when he had decided to go out for a late-night jog.

When he was jogging around the club district of the city he lived in, he never expected to see the woman of his dreams. Seeing _her _was a dream.

"Her", his soul mate.

He only saw her briefly- a vibrant red dress and a smile that could wow a room- before she was gone again, but that was enough.

His heart had stopped as he'd passed her while she was climbing into her car, and he wasn't sure if it had started again when he stopped to watch her drive away.

"Damn," he said as he watched her go. "So it IS real." Love at first sight, that is.

He could count on one hand the number of friend's he had that were _happily_ married. The other end of the spectrum required him to use both hands and his feet. Teeth, too, if he was going to be honest. Love at first sight had been something for fairy tales and cheap romance novels for him right up until that moment.

Turning, he started walking away from where she had been parked and the club it had parked in front of, struggling to remember anything else he had noticed about her when she had rushed out of the club moments before.

But there was nothing. He had been too far away to really see her clearly, and she had climbed into her car far too quickly for him to notice anything else.

He would never forget that moment though. He could never forget that moment.

Pressing his fingers to his neck, he checked his pulse, somewhat surprised to feel he still had one.

"Guess I'm going to be running this route a lot." He told himself, resuming his jog, his hopes high that he would run into her again, perhaps literally.

Kicking up his pace, he began to sprint as rain began falling, thunder and lightning flickering in the dark night.

Somehow, though, the fact that he had just seen her managed to light his way home.

He had hope again. His recovery had happened in a matter of moments.

"God, I hope she wasn't an angel." Jay prayed. "I do not want to have just fallen head-over-heels in love with something I can never be with."

He had no idea just how real, or close, she was to him.

* * *

><p>Cornelia "Nelly" Contreiras hadn't been sure whether the blond man jogging towards her as she left the club a friend of hers ran was a jogger or something else, but as she climbed into her car, she swore the air was charged.<p>

Their eyes had met briefly and she was sure he was a ghost.

He had to be, because there was no way she had seen this man before outside of her dreams.

Had she?

That was what she wondering about the entire drive.

"He's gotta be just a figment of my imagination." Nelly finally told herself as she parked in the driveway. "Gotta be." She repeated, more unsure than ever.

When she thought about the strange dreams that had been plaguing her since a car accident a few years prior, she began to wonder if maybe they weren't dreams, but actually memories of the events leading up to, during, and just after the accident.

Grabbing her purse from the passenger seat, she climbed out and hurried to the front door of the house, engaging the lock of her car with the tiny remote over her shoulder as the rain fell gently in the cool, calm night.

_They're just dreams, Nelly._ A bitter part of her subconscious told her. _Like that guy was there to rescue you when the accident happened? Yeah right._ It told her.

She stopped as she was unlocking the front door, closing her eyes as she thought for a moment.

"Okay, he was real." She admitted, opening her eyes again. "And cute. But, c'mon, where have I seen him before?"

Pushing the door opened, she stepped into the house. She nudged the door shut behind her and turned the light in the entryway on as she looked around her temporary place of residence.

A friend had asked her to house-sit the place while they went out of town- well, eloped- and she had agreed since she was currently searching for a new place. She liked the neighborhood; it was quiet, happy, and her neighbor's weren't real rambunctious.

The only thing preventing her from enjoying her stay were the dreams, or nightmares, that plagued her every night.

Rubbing her forehead, Nelly sighed. "Stupid dreams." She muttered, kicking her sky-high platforms off.

The black items landed with clunks and clatters while Nelly shut the light in the entryway off.

"I doubt I'm getting much sleep tonight." She told herself.

* * *

><p>She had been right.<p>

_Thank God today is Saturday!_ Nelly thought.

It was only 10 AM and, on the day she usually spent shopping and hanging out at the beach, she was seated on the kitchen counter with her third cup of coffee.

"Mreow?" Her friend's cat Wichita, which she was cat-sitting along with the house, trilled as it weaved itself around the legs of the kitchen table.

"Your owner isn't home yet, Wichita." Nelly told the cat as it hopped up on the counter and looked out the window at the driveway. "You've got three more days." She told it gently.

Yet the cat wouldn't listen to her as it sat down and began watching the driveway, determined to will its owner home.

Rolling her eyes, Nelly hopped off the counter and put her cup in the sink. "Why am I even telling the cat? It doesn't care." She said, leaving the kitchen.

Heading upstairs to the guest bedroom she was staying in, she began trying to find an outfit to wear.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, back downstairs, Wichita had decided that the driveway was too void of birds. He hopped off the counter and sashayed to the back of the house, going for the solarium.<p>

The solarium was Wichita's favorite room in the house, since it gave him a great view of the backyard where squirrels, birds, and bees frolicked constantly.

The cat licked its lips and took a seat, watching nature flutter around its yard.

It would never admit it- it couldn't admit it to the humans, really- but it was agoraphobic. In other words, it was afraid of large, open spaces. Going outside was impossible for it to do.

So, bird watching was the next best thing.

The obese white cat was just beginning to get bored when suddenly something- something certainly not falling into any of its "munchies" categories- hit the window.

"MREOW!" The cat screeched, sprinting upstairs to Nelly's room and under the bed.

It was now afraid of large, flying objects too.

* * *

><p>Nelly whipped around in alarm when she heard Wichita yowl, but seeing the white blur fly into her room and under the bed was a whole different kettle of fish.<p>

"Wichita?" Nelly questioned, a little worried. "Are you okay?"

"Mreow." The terrified cat told her in a pitiful tone.

Nelly knelt and looked at the cat, who was hiding behind a shoe box. "Are you-" She was cut-off by the buzzing of the doorbell. "Now what?" She wondered, getting up and going downstairs.

Grateful to have changed into a sundress and sandals instead of answering the door in her pajamas, she looked through the peephole only to find an eye staring back.

Nelly sighed. _This can't be good._ She thought, opening the door.

A very tall blond man stood there, grinning. "Hi, my friends and I were playing football and we accidentally tossed the ball into your backyard. Would it be okay if I retrieved it?"

Nelly raised an eyebrow as she noticed he was covered in mud and shook her head. "Let me get it- white carpeting." She explained. It was the truth- much of the house did have white carpeting. Oddly enough, one of the bathrooms was included.

She wasn't sure what her friend had been thinking when they had redecorated the house to include that, but she knew they hadn't been thinking with a full bag of marbles.

The man nodded and stayed put as Nelly walked to the back of the house.

Going out onto the back veranda, she began looking for the nefarious football while several men bickered on the other side of the fence.

"For Christ's sake, Chris! Just because you have the strength of a gorilla and the eyes of a… A… Tiger, doesn't mean you can just throw the football all willy-nilly. What happens when you hit the car of the police chief again? I don't want that scary SWAT woman raiding my house again just because it looks like we've got a football cannon."

Nelly frowned as she listened to the argument going on in the next yard over. She remembered her friend telling her about that. Evidently the "scary SWAT woman" went to her friend's church and was a nice, albeit frigid, woman.

"C'mon, where is that stupid ball?" Nelly muttered, checking a rose bush carefully.

"Well it's not my fault, Jay." The man who seemed to be at fault snapped. "All we've been hearing all day is, "She had to be an angel," and, "Dammit, if she was then I'm going to have to get creative to get her to fall in love with me," and-"

"Stop talking, Chris. Right. Now." Jay growled as Nelly shook her head and straightened.

The pair kept exchanging insults as Nelly groaned.

_Now I might have to let those guys over here. _She thought with a cringe. Perhaps they would be willing to jump the fence instead of going through the house?

Just as she was about to throw in the towel, she heard the crunch of wood and was knocked off her feet by an object that, she realized as she caught a quick glimpse of blond hair, was a person.

_Damn. _She thought as she cringed. Lady Luck had issues with her that morning.

* * *

><p>After a long night of no sleep, fitfully trying to see her face in the memories and realizing that he knew her from before, Jay had climbed from bed grumpy and in dire need of an energy drink. Or sleeping pills.<p>

Not an impromptu football game with a couple of his rowdiest friends.

But that's what he got.

DING-DO-

CRUNCH.

Jay cringed as his doorbell rang in sync to someone- probably Chris Irvine- accidentally putting their fist through his front door.

"Randy, you bumbling idiot. I told you, until you can actually control your powers, don't touch anything." Chris snarled at the newbie, the ever-sheepish Randy Orton.

"Sorry. Wait- what do you mean "anything"?" Randy said. "How the heck am I going to go to work or even get up in the morning without touching something?"

"Figure it out." Chris said in a dry tone.

Jay rolled his eyes as he dragged himself over to the door.

He eyed the hole that was eye-level with Randy's face before opening the door to find practically half of his friends, both superhero and not, standing there.

"Yeesh, Jay. You look horrible." Adam Copeland said, passing his best friend. "But don't worry, we've got beer." He added, holding up the cases in his arms for Jay to see.

Jay cringed as Shane Helms entered the house, carrying several boxes of frozen beef patties. "We've got a ton of stuff out in Adam's truck-"

"PLU-US!" Chris cut-in dramatically, stepping forward and flipping a football inches from Jay's nose. "I brought Vincent."

Jay sighed wearily as Chris ginned and passed him, heading into the house. Why Chris had named the football after the police chief who was constantly a thorn in their sides, he didn't know.

"Hey, Chris! Aren't you helping?" Randy called from next to Adam's truck.

Chris stuck his head out the door. "No-oooooooo, Newbie! I am the original Ayatollah of Rock 'n Rolla! You, meanwhile, are just Randy."

Jay couldn't help but crack a small smile. That was Chris for you. He was… Flamboyant. To say the least.

"But how am I going to get anything out?" Randy asked, his brow furrowing.

Jay cringed. Good question.

* * *

><p>With the party, which was a get-together of a lot of the superheroes Jay knew and a few he didn't, underway, Jay felt slightly better.<p>

"Ah. Beer. Burgers-" Adam started to say when one of the rookies, who had just a smidge more of seniority than Randy, popped up behind his lawn chair holding a badminton racket and a shuttlecock.

"BADMINTON!" Matt Korklan screamed before ducking down.

"What the?" Adam turned and looked around, trying to spot Matt, who had vanished.

Jay, who was nearby on a similar lawn chair, started laughing. "New recruits rock!" He said.

"They most certainly think along their own separate wave lengths." Adam muttered, turning back around, thoroughly unnerved.

Just then, Chris walked by, the aforementioned football in his hands. "Randy!" He yelled, the young man looking up from across the spacious yard. "Catch!"

He threw the ball with all the strength he was legendary for, Randy moving quickly to catch it.

He dove into the air, catching the ball, as he fell into Jay's swimming pool.

"Oh!" A chorus of males, including Jay, shouted, laughing amongst themselves as Randy resurfaced, holding the ball up for them to see.

"Tch, rookies." Chris said, turning away to head back into the house when the ball crashed into his back.

He stopped as Randy climbed out of the pool, wringing his clothes as dry as best he could.

"Oh, it's on." Chris said, turning at lightning speed to grab the ball.

* * *

><p>Thus began an epic game of superhero football which ended when Chris pitched the ball into the neighbor's yard.<p>

While Adam went to retrieve it, Chris and Jay argued.

Shane tried to break them up, but was unsuccessful. Eventually, Randy and several of the others were forced to intervene when the two started scuffling.

Unfortunately, Randy pushed Jay away with a little too much force, sending the smaller blond Canadian through the fence separating the yards.

* * *

><p>Jay crashed through the fence and knocked the woman next door off her feet, moving to his feet just in time to catch her.<p>

He hoped she hadn't noticed his faster-than-human speed.

Nelly blinked up at the man kneeling over her, his arms around her.

"Um… What just happened?" She asked just at the same time as he blurted out, "It's you!"

They stared at each other in stunned silence for a moment before Nelly swallowed, her heart calming down.

_It's him._ She thought. _My dream... Ghost._

"What do you mean, "it's me"?" She asked, frowning. He was also that jogger…

Her ghosts were one and the same?

_He certainly isn't a ghost now. _She thought wryly.

"I saw you outside of a club last night. Red dress? In a hurry?" He asked as he stood up, taking her with him.

She nodded as she stepped back, away from him. She was stunned; he hadn't been a figment of her imagination.

His arms dropped to his sides as someone coughed nervously nearby. A blush crossed her cheeks when she realized that his friends were watching them intently.

"Ma'am, I'm-" Randy started forward, an apology on his lips, when Chris threw his arm out, stopping him.

"Shush!" Chris hissed.

"But-"

"Okay, everybody inside. Let's go. All of you." One of the only women at the party, Amy Dumas, shouted, herding everyone away from the ruined fence.

Nelly mentally groaned. Today was an…

…Odd one.

"I- I- I didn't mean to knock you over. Or to startle you." Jay said, his heart pounding. His angel… She was real. "I, um, I…"

Nelly smiled at him. For a complete stranger who had literally swept her off of her feet, he was cute. Really cute.

"I just really, really, really wanted to meet you and ask, um, and ask…" Jay trailed off as he looked into her eyes.

_True love. Soul mates. Wow I feel like I'm on cloud nine. But what do I say to her?_

It also hit him just then that he had seen her before- and where.

Four years prior, he had helped rescue workers with a car accident.

THE car accident.

He had ripped the door off of her car and carried her to the waiting ambulance.

He couldn't believe it.

"Will you go out with me?" He asked her. She looked surprised, and he was a little surprised himself by the fact that he had said that.

Nelly studied him for a moment, biting her lower lip.

_Okay, I didn't even know he was real up until a few minutes ago, and now I'm getting asked out by him? C'mon, today totally tops my top ten list of weird days. _Nelly thought.

"I don't even know your name." She said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"It's Jay." He said, a hopeful grin spreading across his face. _I think I've loved you forever. _He thought.

"Well, I'm Nelly." Nelly said, cocking her head. _I feel like I've known you forever. _She thought. "And yes, I would love to go out with you."

"REALLY?" Came a chorus of shouts from Jay's back porch.

The pair looked at the group on the porch, which scurried out of sight quickly, before looking back at each other again.

"Do you-" They both started to say only to break off in laughter when they realized the other one was saying the exact same thing.

"You go first." Nelly said.

"No, I am a perfect gentleman." Jay said, crossing his arms. "Ladies first."

Nelly chuckled. "Do you believe in ghosts, Jay?" Nelly asked him, nervously threading her fingers together and apart.

Jay wasn't too surprised by her question. "I… I think I do." He said.

"Okay." Nelly said, nodding. "What's yours? Question, I mean." She added, clarifying her statement.

"Oh, um… I just wanted to ask…" He looked at the ground before raising his head slightly to look at her. "Are you an angel?" He asked her.

She smiled and chuckled. "The last time I checked: No."

Jay chuckled. "Good."

Nelly raised her eyebrow and he hurried to explain.

"I just meant that if you were an angel, then I'd really have almost no shot being with you. But, if you're human, then I won't have to worry about whether or not I am really seeing you." He said.

Both of them were quiet after that, twin grins on their faces.

"Well… That was the most beautiful pickup line I have ever heard in quite possibly my life, Jay. Got any more I should hear?" Nelly asked him in a teasing voice.

"Plenty," Jay said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder as he lead her across the yard, through the ruined fence, and into his yard. "But I'll save those for our date." He said, winking at her.

Nelly giggled.

That day took the cake, and it was one that neither of them would ever forget.

* * *

><p>Adam pressed the doorbell again. <em>Man, she must be combing the entire yard for that ball. <em>Adam thought, running his hand through his hair. _She was pretty cute. Maybe I should ask her out when she comes back._

He thought about that for a moment before shaking his head. _Nah, too much Jay's type. Oh! I know! I could set her up with him!_

He grinned deviously. _This is going to be great!_

Little did Adam know that the Ghost and the Angel had found each other…

…And that they were going to live happily ever after…

…Plus, he had his own soul mate out there, waiting for him.

* * *

><p><em>Yes, Evan Bourne did have a Mort from <span>The Penguins of Madagascar<span> moment there. Can you blame me? Admit it- it was cute._


	2. Perfect Day

_Disclaimer: I own the story and most of the OC's. I do not own Paige, because she is NellyLove's OC. Neither of us own the wrestlers mentioned here._

_Author's Note: Second oneshot for my good friend NellyLove. ^_^ It was, originally, something totally different, but… Then I got to thinking and decided that THAT chapter was better suited for one of my OC's…_

_And, seriously, go check out her stories if you haven't already._

* * *

><p>It was a gorgeous October afternoon, a Saturday, when Paige Ross found herself at the local police station, tasked with flipping through a book with hundreds- if not thousands- of photos showing different makes and models of cars.<p>

That was not, whatsoever, a part of her plans for the day.

Paige shut her eyes firmly, a groan and a curse both dancing on her lips. Why she had been so unfortunate to end up downtown just as two of the most annoying bandits in the city- the ones without powers- decided to make a getaway she didn't know. She was just annoyed that she had been.

"That's close." She said wearily, stabbing one short nail at a photo of a burgundy sedan.

The officer seated with her- a Beth Carolan- took the book and looked herself.

The younger woman looked at the blonde police officer, hoping that that marked the end of her visit to the station.

"That matches the descriptions from other eyewitnesses. You said it was silver, right?" The officer asked her.

Paige nodded, hoping to get out of their soon and not being stuck there for several more hours, trying to narrow the car's exact type down.

Beth hummed in thought, scribbling some notes down in her notebook. "And you said the back taillight was out too?"

Paige nodded again. "Yes, the right one. They broke it while making their getaway." She said, knowing the details by heart since she had gone over them ten times in two hours.

Beth nodded, scribbling that down as well, though Paige knew they already had that detail. "All right, Miss Ross, thank you so much for your time." The two women shook hands before both standing. "One of our other detectives, Paul Lloyd, will ask you some final questions and then you are free to go."

_Oh joy. _"Okay." Was what she said, though she knew she was silently broadcasting her feelings about being stuck at the station, answering the same questions repeatedly.

Beth pat her hand in sympathy. "Don't worry, it's almost done. Besides," she winked at Paige, startling the other woman, "I think you'll feel better after talking to Paul."

_I doubt that. _Paige thought, but she nodded and smiled weakly instead.

* * *

><p>Beth informed her that Paul's office was on the fourth floor, which she could only access after going through the "bull pen", and explained that, "You haven't gone far enough if you hear a Texas drawl, but you've passed it if the detective is doing air guitar," before sending her on her way.<p>

Paige, oddly enough, felt like Dorothy after being sent down the Yellow Brick Road, just… Less enthusiastic about it.

Her shoes were equally as cute though.

* * *

><p>After going past a myriad of offices- and down several very winding hallways- Paige finally hit the corridor with Paul's office.<p>

She passed several doors until she passed a partially open one and decided, _The hell with it!_

She pushed the door open a little further and was not surprised to find that she had gone past Paul's office, for there was a redhead male with his back to her, playing an air guitar.

She quietly pulled the door shut and backed away, a small smile crossing her lips. The police station was… Unique. Very.

At the door she had just passed, she knocked, a faint- yet very masculine- voice on the other side saying that she could come in.

Upon opening the door, she was impressed by how neat the room was. Only a single stack of paperwork- and that was on the desk- marred the pristine organization of the room.

It was the man seated at the desk, though, who caught her eye.

Dark, dark brown hair, stubble on his chin, and sparkling brown eyes were the first few details noticed. Then his charming, somewhat angelic, face and the calming air that surrounded him.

_Beth was right. I do feel a little better. _She thought as she stepped into the room, deliberately letting the heels of her blue platform heels come down a tad louder than necessary in order to catch his eye.

The man- Paul, presumably, since it was his office- looked up at her from his phone call. "Right." He said, making eye contact with her. His expression went from bewilderment to charmed and then confusion within a matter of seconds. If Paige had blinked, she would've missed the changing of his face. "Well, that could actually be a hindrance… Look, Ted, I gotta run. Right. Yeah."

By the way he dropped the phone first on the desk, and then back into the cradle, she could tell he couldn't stand "Ted". Either that or he needed to wear glasses. "You're either Paige, or the cute new detective the guys in the mail room keep telling me about."

Paige raised an eyebrow as his brazen comment, but smiled, taking a seat in front of his desk. "I'm Paige." She clarified, not sure what to think when she saw a slightly crestfallen look cross his face for a second. "You were hopeful that I was that detective, weren't you?" she asked him.

Paul broke eye contact as he reached for a file near the front of his desk. "Maybe."

Paige bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing as he flipped opened the file connected to her.

"I'm Detective Paul Lloyd, by the way. Call me Paul. You're Paige Ross…" He stated, skimming over the file. "I'm just gonna ask you some routine questions. Some things Beth may not have gone over."

Paige raised an eyebrow, a little surprised that Beth had somehow missed something, but said nothing about that as he got out a pen and a blank piece of paper- printer paper, at that. "All right, Paul." She said casually.

"Are you married?" He asked her, looking up and into her eyes.

"No." Paige said, brushing a lock of hair away from her face. Paul was a handsome man- though, she noted, the air around him had gone from calm to that of a man of great mystery.

He made a note of her response and continued. "So you saw the villains escape?"

"Yes." Paige said, wondering just what they had put in the file. She knew that she had gone over that detail with Beth.

"And what were you doing when you spotted them? Having lunch with your boyfriend, shoe shopping for a date?" Paul asked her. "We'll check those place's security cameras, y'know, just to see if maybe they caught license plate of the perps car." He explained.

Paige smiled at him, a puzzled smile. "I was just swinging by my dry cleaner's to pick up a dress of mine." She explained. Another detail she had covered with Beth.

"What kind of dress? Eveningwear, Sunday dress, sun dress, costume?" Paul asked, making her want to laugh. He sounded so serious, yet his eyes gave him away. He was finding this… Amusing. Intriguing.

"Just a little black dress I had worn to a dinner a couple of days ago." Paige said, playing the dinner down.

"Really? So… Business dinner?" He asked, looking a little hopeful as he leaned forward and rested his arms on his desk.

Paige leaned forward too. "Oh… Just a dinner out with a group of friends."

In all honesty, it was dinner with a group of friends… And the guy they had set her up with. She had not been interested in him at all.

He raised his eyebrow, an impish smirk crossing his lips. "Ah, I see." He said, the moment after that thought flashed through her mind. "So, can you tell me anything odd you saw, or might've seen, when the perps escaped?" He asked her, leaning back in his chair.

Paige thought back to the event, replaying it in her mind. She looked away from Paul, trying to recall a detail she swore she had forgotten, while he seemed to study her.

"I… Remember…" She looked back at him and caught the serious, contemplating look in his eyes before it vanished.

"Go on," he said, smiling.

Paige studied him for a moment. "I remember that the passenger in the car had longer hair. It was…" She thought for a moment.

"Blond?" Paul suggested, as if reading her mind.

"Yes," she said, nodding. "Like a rocker's." Paige added.

Paul nodded, more to himself than to her, as he opened a drawer and began looking for something. "That's great, Miss Ross. Actually, you may have just helped us bust this case wide open. Would it be possible for you to return in a couple of days and view a lineup?" He asked her, looking up once he'd voiced his question. Gone was the imp.

"Uh, sure." Paige said, a little surprised by his sudden change in mood.

He smiled, this time his expression something between serious and playful. "Great."

They stared at each other for a moment, and then Paige looked at the clock.

"Yikes. Look at the time. I've got to go." She said, standing up.

Paul stood as well. "All right. Thank you, Miss Ross, for all your help." He said as he came around the desk to stand near her. "You've really made a difference in the case," he said, holding his hand out.

Paige, after searching his eyes for a brief moment, took his hand in hers. "I'm glad I could help." She said, catching the curious look in his eyes before it disappeared.

It wasn't until she was much further down the hall, though, that she dared think about him.

_I wonder what he was hiding._

* * *

><p>Fifteen steps out of the police station, and Paige was still baffled about her interaction with Paul. One minute he had been flirting with her, the next he was all business and so serious.<p>

_Something tells me he and his partner behave like TV characters. _She thought with a roll of her eyes as she approached her truck, a blue Ford.

"Paige!"

She turned, her thumb on the keypad attached to her keys. Paul approached her, looking a little… Nervous. Like a kid who was worried that it was too early to start writing their Christmas list.

"I didn't get a chance to give you my number," he said, stopping an arm's length from her and offering her his card.

"I didn't know I needed it." Paige said, taking the card from him delicately. She noted that the side he had been holding up had a hand-written number on it; the flipside had the standard printed number for his office.

Paul gave her a charming, roguish smirk. "How would we be able to coordinate our schedules to meet for coffee later?"

Paige looked up at him, their eyes meeting, as she clamped down on her surprise. "Coffee?"

"You know, a black-brown beverage that's usually scalding hot and tastes best with plenty of sugar in it. Great for getting to know people over." Paul teased her with.

Paige laughed. "I knew that." She said. "I just… Didn't expect this." She said, waving the card at him.

He reached out and brushed his thumb across her cheek. "Good. It means I played the role of mysterious charmer right."

She nodded, liking the way they seemed to have connected. "That you did, Paul." She said, smiling slowly. "I'm free for coffee tomorrow, say, 11-ish." She offered after a moment.

Paul nodded, obviously thinking about his schedule. "AM, I hope. At 11 tomorrow night I have a stakeout I'm going on, and the station really frowns on dates along on them." He said, smiling at her chuckle.

"Yes, AM." She said, laughter in her voice.

"All right then." He said softly, so that only she could hear. Again, he studied her, like he was reading her mind. "I should go," he added after a moment, "but I'll be looking forward to coffee with you."

"Me too." Paige said.

He nodded and started walking away, leaving Paige to wonder.

_It's like one minute I can guess what he's doing and the next I can't. _She thought, cocking her head.

The moment the thought had passed through her mind, he responded again.

"Oh, and Paige," Paul said, turning and walking backwards as he called to her, "once you get to know me, you'll find that I'm a really surprising guy."

Paige raised an eyebrow, wondering if he had- somehow- read her mind.

By the smile on his face as he turned away again, she wouldn't be surprised if he had, knowing that town.

* * *

><p>One week later, while the pair was out to coffee during the early afternoon, their third coffee date, they overheard the good news.<p>

_"A pair of bandits who were notorious for spray painting graffiti all over the city__ have finally been apprehended. While their identities have not been yet released, Detective Heath Miller of the local police station and one of the head detectives for this case has released a statement that they are not super villains. More on this story to follow as we learn new details."_

Paige looked at Paul. "Congratulations. You must be thrilled." She said.

Paul nodded, holding her hand that was on the table. "Thanks, but it wouldn't have been possible without you." He stated.

She raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me… You hunted down all the cars matching the description I gave and cross-referenced them with the description of the robbers." She said.

Paul looked at his coffee. "Well, yeah… And I really did check out the security camera from your dry cleaner's to see if they had been caught on those cameras. I wasn't trying to find out if you were single with all those questions."

Paige laughed. "Sure, Paul. Sure."

Justice had been served. Two hearts had found each other. Coffee was brewed just the way everyone wanted it.

The day was perfect.

* * *

><p><em>#2 of 3 is done. One more to go. ^_^ Inspired by a book I was reading. No Matt Korklan cameos, sadly. :( Heath Miller and Beth Carolan on the other hand… Plus, you can plug in any of the longer blond haired wrestlers there have been in the WWE and TNA for one of the two bandits.<em>

_Reviews are lovely, like chocolate cake! ^_^_

_Flames will have to be directed to my secretary. They are hard to reach, so might want to leave your flame with a bunch of butterscotch candy. One of them will be taken, I'm sure of it…_

_And yes, Paul was reading her mind._


	3. Christmas Cheer

_Disclaimer: NellyLove owns Kayla. I own the story and the random other OC's here. After that we own nothing else._

_A/N: Hey, everyone. Merry Christmas and happy New Year! ^_^ This is an early Christmas gift to Nelly and the final oneshot in the trilogy of oneshots I promised her I'd write. I figured, considering the time of year, I absolutely had to write a Christmas fic. So here it is. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more random Christmas fics to work on and you have a fic to read. :) Enjoy!_

* * *

><p>As the murky gray skies faded to black, and the roar of the city's seemingly never-ending stream of vehicles dulled, one house seemed to contain all the action and life of a single day.<p>

The house, a large white one with black shutters, was located on a residential street. It was situated between a sour-looking gray house and a classical-looking brick one. Neither house had any lights on in them because their owners were next door.

The massive once-a-year event that was the Christmas party at Chris Irvine's house was always an interesting one. Though Chris hosted other parties during the year and was, in general, a cheerful and friendly guy, this party was one of the rare times he could be described as… "Cuddly".

No one missed it. Not if they could help it.

And so, Chris' house was packed to the gills with guests while the host himself made sure everything remained perfect.

The evening, and party, was perfect.

The guests mixed and mingled, filling each room with cheer, leaving no story untold, no hug un-given.

Some people, though, really knew how to hide in a full room.

Like Chris himself.

Chris didn't mind Christmas- heck, he loved the holiday. It was one of the few that he actually took off from work. Both the secret and the non-secret work. There was just something about the evening, though, that had Chris wanting to get away.

_Maybe it's this sorry excuse that Matt calls "eggnog"; too little… Christmas cheer in it._ Chris thought, referring to one of the various Matt's in his house as he eyed the mug in his hand, artfully hidden near a gaggle of women. They all were too busy talking about their holiday purchases to notice him, and no male was going to risk getting sucked into the conversation in order to get close enough to him.

Therefore, Chris was alone. Relatively.

_Sure feels like this whole party is missing Christmas cheer. _Chris thought as he eyed the nearby green tinsel he had put up.

It bugged him; he wished he knew what was missing from the party this year.

A tiny part of him, the part that usually only showed up when he was Jericho, voiced a tiny, insistent thought. _What if it's not the party, but me, that's missing something? _He wondered.

With a heavy sigh, he drank more eggnog. Unless a Christmas miracle happened, he wasn't getting his answer any time soon.

* * *

><p>Kayla Green had not known much about Chris Irvine's annual Christmas party until three hours earlier when one friend insisted she was coming with her to the party.<p>

Her friends- the ones who had attended the party before- raved about the food, decorations, and all-around fun at it. They swore it was an event not worth missing; if something was going to happen, it was going to happen there.

"I have seen four different people get engaged at this party in years past," one friend had explained. "And countless numbers of other couples meet for the first time there. It's like Chris is freakin' Cupid."

Kayla hadn't seen that part yet, but she had seen a lot of familiar faces over the course of the evening.

How this party was kept so secret from everyone but the ones in attendance she did not know.

For that matter, though, she had not seen the host yet; she had no idea what he looked like or what he was like.

_Cupid, James Bond. Same difference. _She thought light-heartedly as she listened to Matt Hardy's latest tale about his work. The SWAT officer sure loved his job.

When Matt's story wrapped, Kayla excused herself and went to another room of the house. She needed a change of pace, and a little breathing room.

_Yeesh this place is packed. _She thought as she weaved her way through the busy house.

Beehives, in her opinion, were emptier.

Upon reaching the nearest room with the least amount of people, Kayla snagged one of the lone free seats near the electric fireplace, toeing her peach platform pumps off.

Three hours in the darned items had left her feet sore.

Kayla wiggled her toes as she looked around her.

A group of women sat nearby, laughing and complementing each other shoes. None of them paid attention to the rest of the room, including the man standing near them.

Kayla shot the man, most likely one of their boyfriend's, a sympathetic smile before returning her gaze to the fake flames.

She was enjoying the party; it truly was what her friends swore it would be, and more. It was just that…

She sighed, relaxing further. _It just feels like Christmas is missing its usual pop and zing._

She, like Chris, couldn't place her finger on it either. Something about Christmas was off.

Surveying the room, she determined it wasn't a lack of decorations. The main tree, as well as the miniature tree in each room, was decorated to perfection. And you couldn't swat your hand without hitting a person wearing a Christmas sweater.

She thought about her life next, wondering if maybe she'd missed something on her holiday to-do list.

_Finished all of my shopping weeks ago. Strung lights and decorated. I have my tree and it's beautiful. Plans all set for Christmas day. _She thought with a frown, quickly determining it wasn't anything obvious that was causing the odd feeling in her heart.

She rolled her head, trying to work out the kinks in her neck. The holiday itself just felt wrong.

It seemed that kindred spirits had the same feeling that Christmas Eve evening.

* * *

><p>Chris studied the woman who had smiled at him, having been instantly intrigued by her.<p>

He recognized her- he knew every name on the guest list- but… He didn't know _who_ she really was.

It was easy to know a person's name and face, but to know who they truly were on the inside, to know their heart, was a different, and delicate, matter.

Deciding that he had had enough of hiding, somehow, amidst all of the festive décor, he stepped away from his little corner and over to the electric fireplace.

_I gotta get a real one, one of these days. _He thought, eyeing the "soulless" item that only added to the holiday spirit in the house, electric or not.

"Cookie for your thoughts?" he asked the woman, her gaze flying to him instantly.

"What?" she asked, a chuckle in her voice. Her gaze then flicked to the women behind him.

Chris looked over his shoulder, quickly understanding her unsaid message.

"I'm not with them," he said, returning his gaze to her before holding out his hand. "Chris Irvine."

"Ah, the mysterious host," she said, accepting his hand. "Kayla Green." She added, introducing herself.

He nodded and then surprised her, and himself, when he bowed his head low and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand.

Kayla bit her lip, suppressing a giggle, as Chris raised his head, releasing her hand from his grasp.

"I was just wondering what had you looking so serious." He said, looking at the end table next to the chair she was seated in that had a partially empty tray of cookies on it. "So… Cookie for your thoughts?" he asked again, smiling at her.

Kayla returned the smile as she took a cookie from the tray. A tree-shaped one, with white frosting and green sugar crystals sprinkled on it. "I was just…" she looked at the cookie, then looked at the fire again, as Chris grabbed a stocking-shaped cookie with red and white frosting. "Christmas just doesn't feel the same this year." She finally said.

Chris, who had just taken a bite out of his cookie, swallowed wrong and began to cough.

Jay Reso, who was perusing the cookie tray himself, whacked Chris on the back a couple of times until he was satisfied that one of his oldest friends was all right and then wandered off, three cookies in hand.

"Are you okay?" Kayla asked him when his blue-eyed gaze returned to her concerned face.

Chris nodded, clearing his throat. "I was just… Surprised, that's all." Chris honestly replied with. He'd thought he was the only one who felt that way.

Kayla studied him. "Why?" she asked him.

Chris shrugged as he grabbed a nearby ottoman and sat next to her chair. "Well, it's because…" he looked into her eyes as he continued, "…I feel the same way."

He was a little surprised that he had admitted that to her, but he felt comfortable sharing that information with her, like he almost knew that she felt the same way.

"Really?" Kayla asked, her turn to be surprised.

Chris nodded, looking at the fire again. "Yep, totally. I mean, it looks like Christmas-"

"-Minus the snow." Kayla reminded him of the lack of snow in their section of Florida.

"Right." Chris said with a laugh.

Kayla chuckled as well. "I just meant that it feels like something's missing, y'know? Something… Something we didn't even realize was."

Chris nodded as they both studied the flames. "Yeah, same here." He was quiet for a moment, analyzing what he felt that missing item could be. "It could be the lack of Santa hat's people are wearing this year." He suggested.

"Oh yeah, definitely," Kayla agreed, nodding, though they both knew he was joking.

"Or maybe the shortage of gingerbread cookies around here. I swear it's like they've fallen off the face of the planet, and so have all their ingredients." Chris said, waving his hand in a sweeping motion.

"True. Or perhaps it's how few decorations are up in many neighborhoods." She added.

Chris nodded. "That's a big one."

They both grew quiet after that, the party starting to grow softer as more and more people started to grow weary and wished to return home. Several shouted goodbyes while others just vanished, taking a random cheese or cookie tray with them.

It wasn't long after that that it dawned on Kayla what might be missing.

"You know, there's always a chance that what's missing is not a physical item." She said, looking at Chris.

Chris' eyes met hers once more. "Oh?" he asked, tilting his head.

Kayla nodded. "Maybe what we feel is missing is the true meaning of Christmas."

That made perfect sense to Chris.

"You have an excellent point there." He said, looking around the room. "What should be a holiday spent enjoying time with loved ones, observing religious holidays, and childlike fun has turned into…" Chris struggled to think of an apt description, but Kayla already had one in mind.

"…Into one big blur of lights, decorations, and wrapping paper, only to have it fade into another rarely-thought-of memory?" Kayla offered.

Chris thought her description over for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, that's it." He said, a somber look crossing his face.

Kayla and Chris resumed looking into the fire, just enjoying each other's peaceful company.

At a party that was so loud and over-the-top, they had managed to find each other.

They both counted their blessings that they had.

* * *

><p>Some time later, when the number of guests was starting to wind much, much more down, Kayla decided it was time for her to go.<p>

She and Chris had spent some time exchanging Christmas stories and munching on cookies, enjoying talking with each other. But, it was time for her to go home and get some rest. She had big plans for Christmas.

"I'll walk you to your car," Chris said as Kayla shrugged into her coat.

"Thanks," she said, smiling at him as she removed her keys from her pocket.

The pair slipped out the front door, Chris' other close friend Adam Copeland nearby, telling Randy Orton and Matt Hardy about how his work was going.

Chris knew that Adam was not referring to his day job.

* * *

><p>The sky had cleared enough for the moon to be visible through occasional holes in the clouds, thus lighting their way to her car.<p>

They said nothing as they enjoyed the softer sounds of the night. It was Kayla, though, who finally spoke again.

"You know," she said as they neared her car, "my friends told me that you were a real character that would be impossible to forget. I think they were understating that." She teased as Chris laughed.

"Believe me; I'm not trying to be that way. I just am." He said, laughter in his voice. "But, you know, I have to say that I'm not going to forget you either." He said, smiling at her.

Kayla smiled and looked at the moon. "Thanks." She said.

They had reached her car by that point and Chris opened her door for her. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Kayla Green." Chris said as she climbed into the car. "So… I'll see you around?" he asked her.

She looked up at him, meeting his impish smile with her own. "I dunno. I kinda have a busy schedule after the holidays are over."

Chris nodded, chuckling. "Yeah, so do I. I- I'm a lawyer." He said, as an afterthought.

Kayla studied him for another moment. "But… I am hosting a New Year's Eve party. It's nothing big; just a couple of friends and I. Watching the ball drop. You should come."

For a moment, Chris was at a loss for words. Then, he grinned. "Absolutely. I will bring my famous 8-layer dip." He told her.

Kayla laughed a true laugh. "All right. I look forward to it."

It was hard for them to say goodbye, but they knew they'd be seeing each other in a few days again. So, finally, Chris spoke.

"Good night, Kayla." He said, gently shutting her door and walking around the front of the car to the sidewalk.

Kayla smiled, wondering if this was part of Chris' cupid-like behavior. She then started the car and put it in drive, deciding that she would ask him at the party.

It seemed that Christmas, and the year to come, had regained its cheer.

She couldn't wait to see what next Christmas had in store for her… And Chris too.

* * *

><p><em>Flamers will have to wait until after 2013 begins to have their flames reach me. My secretary, Proto, is out of town for the next two-three weeks. First they decided to celebrate their birthday on the 21<em>_st__ because of the prophecy surrounding it (go figure) and then… Well, that's a different story._

_All the rest of you reviewers I would love to hear from. ^_^ And thanks for reading!_


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